At least 60 cases of rat lungworm disease (RLWD) have been documented in humans in Hawaii, most of them originating from the Puna district of Hawaii Island. While symptoms can be mild and flu-like, there have been many severe cases that have resulted in long-term disability and even death.

NELHA has been monitoring its equipment using a variety of disparate systems. Over the past year or so, it has been upgrading to a comprehensive data acquisition system. It is now possible to get real-time data on pumping stations and their power usage, which will allow them to improve pumping efficiencies and reduce operational costs.

Anyone can fly an unmanned aircraft, but it takes a special understanding of Geographic Information Systems to turn imagery into actionable data. University of Hawaii-Hilo has been using UAVs to map the active lava flow on the Big Island since October, 2014, in direct support of Hawaii Civil Defense and USGS disaster relief efforts.